Sparring Class (1)
The boisterous lunchtime finally wound down, and afternoon classes began.
"Hello, cadets! I'm Instructor Yoon Jiye, and I'll be teaching you sparring and formations. Nice to meet you!"
The woman who introduced herself as Yoon Jiye bowed her head amid the applause, flashing a bright, cheerful smile.
'Yoon Jiye, huh...' He didn't recall her doing anything particularly noteworthy in his previous life. That said, she wasn't a complete unknown either.
'I think she got mentioned once or twice among the guys.' With her cute looks and friendly demeanor, she had the fervent support of all the hot-blooded types.
Glancing around, she pulled a device from her pocket and began explaining the schedule.
"As you probably know, the midterm exams in a few months will mandatory include either a sparring or formation test. So I'm sure you cadets understand how precious this time is."
Formations. The term might make one think of those from wuxia novels at first, and it was similar in practice. They were like tactical setups that gave you an edge in battle. But if you had the right skills or traits, they provided powerful buffs, making them crucial for dungeon runs and raids.
'I remember they were a pain when mobs swarmed in groups.' Personally, he wasn't a fan. As someone who maximized his solo potential, group-dependent formations that shone in teams were nothing but a hassle.
'Still, for the future, maybe I should practice something like the Combined Energy Formation.'
...Master. Please don't twist it into some weird interpretation.
'But it's the truth, isn't it?' She was saying they'd do sparring for a while, which was the most accurate summary possible.
......
In essence, her detailed explanation boiled down to this: 'You're all too pathetic to start with formations right away. Plus, they require teamwork, and I don't expect much from you newbies who've just met. So we'll build your skills and bonds through sparring first.'
"Alright! Now I'll call out the pairs! It's common to team up with friends, but for efficiency, we'll stick to assigned order for a while."
Clapping her hands with a sharp smack!, Yoon Jiye began pairing them off one by one.
"Next! Song Junho and Lee Nabi! Number 19. Say hi in advance~"
No sooner had she spoken than Lee Nabi whipped her head toward him, glaring ferociously as if she wanted to devour him whole. Song Junho flinched under her intense stare.
'Song Junho versus Lee Nabi...' On paper, Song Junho should crush her. But the guy had a soft spot for girls and often underperformed against them. And with Lee Nabi's vicious tenacity, it could go either way.
'If he loses, I'll beat his ass all day.'
The pairings continued until it was finally his turn.
"Choi Siwoo... you'll be with..."
Yoon Jiye paused, looking right at him. It was just a glance, but the emotion in it was far from ordinary.
"Cheolwangguk. Head to spot 30."
Murmurs rippled through the room at her words.
"...What? Cheolwangguk? Isn't Choi Siwoo screwed?"
"Yeah, if we're talking pure strength, he's one of the B-class twin peaks alongside Song Junho."
He eyed the hulking figure stretching nearby. 'Cheolwangguk.' Easily over two meters tall, with muscles honed tight—not bulky show muscle, but the compressed power of a seasoned fighter from training and battle.
'Guess he was already a big name even back then.' Famous among awakeners for his ironclad defense and frontline prowess. Still a cadet, so not at his peak, but talent like that didn't fade.
"Perfect. That asshole's been pissing me off anyway—Cheolwangguk'll stomp him for us."
"Hey, but... you think the unfair admission rumors are true? He dodged everything while running earlier; looks legit."
"What're you saying to an F-class loser? Probably cheated somehow."
Ignoring the chatter, he glanced at Yoon Jiye. Her cheerful smile had vanished, replaced by a cold, contemptuous stare—one he'd seen endlessly in his past life.
Master, as expected...
'Yeah, she's trying to knock me down. A loss here, and the unfair admission rumors write themselves.' Even if not, it'd tank his standing.
Query. I don't understand. As an instructor, she's seen your skills firsthand. She can't possibly doubt they're real.
'Jealousy.'
Pardon?
'Jealousy's blinded her.'
From slaying so many demons in his past life, he'd gained an odd knack: by looking into a living being's eyes, he could roughly gauge their emotions. On good days, they even appeared as colors—and awakening had sharpened it further.
'Deep red laced with purple...' If he was right, denial, self-justification, and an even stronger jealousy overwhelming it.
Not hard to understand. Envy and tearing down the superior was human nature. Especially in this awakener society where strength was tied to bloodlines. For her, a nobody like him threatening her position must be unbelievable, even with her own eyes.
She's unqualified to teach. Exposing such ugly emotions to cadets.
'Let it slide.' He'd dealt with far worse—types who claimed "a bug like you can't have that power" or "your existence defies society's rules." And they didn't stop at words; poison, midnight assassinations—it was endless.
Jealousy was cute by comparison.
'Besides, she'll change her mind soon enough.' Once she saw how shallow her worldview was.
Five minutes later, the pairs began sparring in order.
"That's it! Kim Hongjun is out. Ohana wins."
Ohana bounced around joyfully at the verdict.
'Not bad.' As he'd guessed during training, she held up well in real combat too. Her calm handling of any opponent, leveraging her speed specialty, brought a smile to his face.
The matches progressed until number 30 was called. The room fell deathly silent as all eyes turned to him and Cheolwangguk.
He stepped onto the arena and stretched. Yoon Jiye approached as if she'd been waiting.
"Choi Siwoo, if it gets too rough, just yell surrender. It's fine."
Her smiling concern felt like a warning not to get hurt, but the emotions seeping from within made him chuckle inwardly.
"Thanks for the worry."
"Of course. As your instructor, how could I not? Especially against Cheolwangguk. Even with spatial barriers, injuries aren't nothing."
She placed a hand on his shoulder with a grin.
"So don't push yourself."
'This woman...' No pretense now—she was openly hostile.
'Overkill for just jealousy?'
Hypothesis. Maybe she's baiting you to reveal if you're a demon?
'Could be.' Demons instinctively leaked demonic energy when cornered. Provoking him like this to force it out made sense.
'Or she's just that twisted inside.'
He brushed off her hand lightly and smiled back.
"I'm honored by the attention from an instructor I just met. But I don't think it's necessary."
"...Why not?"
"'Cause I'm not gonna lose."
"......"
Her smile cracked at his final words. After a silent cough, she retreated.
He smirked inwardly—until a shadow loomed overhead.
Cheolwangguk had closed in, staring down at him.
'What is it with these guys crowding me like it's a damn train ride?'
Bored, he spoke up. "Something you need?"
The giant extended a callused hand.
"They're all yapping, but I won't underestimate you, Choi Siwoo."
"The hell?"
"Your stamina and movement this morning. Impressive. You're strong. So I'll go all out—and you do the same."
The guy said his piece and left it there. Choi Siwoo took the hand.
"Yeah, bring it."
"Good luck."
"You two! To your positions! Begin!"
Yoon Jiye blew her whistle, watching them intently.
"Go!"
Beep! A match barrier enveloped the arena.
Instantly, a boom! echoed as Cheolwangguk charged like a cannonball, body low.
Calmly meeting his gaze, Choi Siwoo slipped his hands into his pockets.